Resident Dropped Twice in 24 Hours, Breaks Leg

A resident at the Tower Hill Healthcare Center in South Elgin, Illinois was not properly transferred twice in a single day at the facility. One of the falls resultedinafracturedfemur.

The resident was admitted into the facility with arthritis, cataracts, coronary artery disease, hypertension, hypothyroidism, a pacemaker, degenerative joint disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and incontinence. She was 83-years-old.

Clearly, this was not a healthy woman, and great care should have been taken with her transfers. The first fall occurred while being transferred from her wheelchair into her bed. According to the report, she was using a mechanical lift that required the resident to support herself to some extent even though there were two Certified Nursing Aides present. She was unable to support her weight and fell to the floor.

The second fall occurred while she was being transferred from her bed to her wheelchair. Again, the two Certified Nursing Aides present used the mechanical lift that had resulted in her earlier fall. The same mechanical lift that required the 83-year-old suffering from at least ten conditions to support herself.

Unsurprisingly, the results were worse. She collapsed. The fall resulted in a broken leg.

The nursing home seems to be guilty of multiple failures. First, they failed to properly assess the woman’s needs. Clearly, she should not have been expected to support her own weight to any extent. The list of ailments makes that clear.

Second, the staff should have used a Hoyer lift device that utilizes slings that can completely lift the resident safely and securely. Requiring two staff members to be present is pointless if they are still requiring the resident to support herself.

If you have a loved one who has been seriously injured in a nursing home fall, contact our Chicago nursing home lawyers for a free and confidential case evaluation. At the LawOfficesofBarryG. Doyle, we never charge a fee unless we earn a recovery for you.